Police assess post by wife of Andy Burnham's national security adviser after she expresses support for banned terror group Palestine Action

Police assess post by wife of Andy Burnham's national security adviser after she expresses support for banned terror group Palestine Action Police are assessing a social media post by the wife of Andy Burnham's national security adviser showing support for banned extremist group Palestine Action. The Met said it was looking into whether Jonathan Powell's wife Sarah Helm had committed a crime by advocating the proscribed terror organisation. In a major embarrassment to her husband, the Prime Minister's most senior aide, Ms Helm wrote on X: 'God help us authors who support Palestine and Palestine Action.' It is an offence to publicly support the group and more than 3,700 people have already been arrested for championing it since it was banned from operating in Britain last year. Her comment comes despite Mr Powell being at the forefront of advising the government on its approach to the group. Mr Powell has also been deeply involved in high-stakes diplomatic interventions with Israel after the shutdown of the British consulate in East Jerusalem following the UK imposing sanctions and a trade ban on West Bank settlements. Advocacy group Campaign Against Antisemitism said Ms Helm's comment was 'gobsmacking' and 'raises serious questions'. The Met Police said in a statement last night: 'We have been made aware of an X post on Thursday, 15 October referencing Palestine Action. It is in the process of being assessed to determine whether any further police investigation may be required.' Author Sarah Helm, who is married to Andy Burnham's national security adviser, has sparked outrage after appearing to support proscribed terror group Palestine Action Ms Helm posted her comment on X in reaction to Times Radio pundit Adam Boulton, after he accused Sally Rooney of anti-Semitism Senior Downing Street aide Jonathan Powell has been at the forefront of advising the Government on its approach to Palestine Action Ms Helm, 69, advocated for the group in responding to a post referencing controversial writer Sally Rooney on Thursday. Normal People author Rooney stated earlier this week she will no longer sell her books in the UK because of her support for the banned group. The 35-year-old previously said she would donate earnings from her books, and BBC adaptations of them, to Palestine Action – but her publisher Faber determined that could not happen because of the ban. Membership or support for such proscribed groups, which include Palestine Action, is punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Political commentator Adam Boulton criticised Rooney over her position on the banned group. Speaking on Sky News, he said: 'She, in common with a lot of people in Ireland, is taking a very strong pro-Palestine and, I have to say, anti-Israel stance.' Ms Helm, who has been married to Mr Powell since 2007, then took to her X and wrote: 'God help us authors who support Palestine and Palestine Action. Sounds like Adam [Boulton] would have all our books swept off the shelves in a jiffy.' A spokesman for the Campaign Against Antisemitism said of the post: 'This is gobsmacking. Clearly, the police need to investigate and Sarah Helm must face the full force of the law, just like others who appear to express support for any proscribed terrorist organisation. 'But this raises extremely serious questions for Jonathan Powell and the Government. 'Spouses are entitled to independent views, but plainly Mr Powell, who leads on our country's national security and has been intricately involved in our Middle East diplomacy, must publicly denounce this rhetoric if he is to continue in post.' Normal People author Sally Rooney said earlier this week she will no longer sell her books in the UK because of her support for Palestine Action Ms Helm is the former Jerusalem correspondent for The Independent newspaper and has been a fervent critic of Israel, accusing it of 'unjustly' imprisoning Palestinians in Gaza for nearly 80 years. In a Guardian newspaper column a week after the October 7 attacks, and before Israel's soldiers entered Gaza in response, Ms Helm accused Israel of 'ethnic cleansing'. Ms Helm declined to comment on the controversy when approached by the Daily Mail at her holiday home in Cornwall yesterday. Mr Powell has yet to react to his wife's comment but a Government spokeswoman told the Daily Mail: 'These views are held by an individual who does not represent the government in any capacity.' Recent arrests over support for the group in the UK include a 94-year-old human rights barrister, who protested outside the Labour Party conference and held up a placard reading: 'I support Palestine Action.' Retired priest, the Rev Sue Parfitt, 84, was also arrested in July for allegedly expressing support for Palestine Action at a protest outside the Metropolitan Police headquarters. Then Home Secretary Yvette Cooper initiated the ban in July 2025, under the Terrorism Act 2000 after Palestine Action activists broke into RAF Brize Norton and spray-painted two military aircraft. Palestine Action was also accused of several acts of serious criminal damage running into the millions, including at the Thales defence factory in Glasgow, in 2022, as well as at the Instro Precision factory in Kent and the Bristol headquarters of Elbit Systems UK in 2024. In its reasons for banning the group, the Home Office said its methods had become 'more aggressive, with its members demonstrating a willingness to use violence'. It added that its activities 'meet the threshold of being concerned in terrorism as set out in the Terrorism Act 2000'. US President Donald Trump's administration has also described Palestine Action as a 'global terrorist organisation'.